Lamp unit and support structure therefor



Aug. 25, 1953 E. a. NOEL LAMP UNIT AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE THEREFOR FiledDec. 1 8, 1946 InvenTor' Edwqr-d B. Noel,

His ATTOFF\ LJ.

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 LAMP UNIT to General Electric New York ANDSUPPORT STRUCTURE THEREFOR Edward B. Noel, Cleveland Heights, Ohio,assignor Company, a corporation of Application December 18, 1946, SerialNo. 716,936

My invention relates to gaseous electric discharge devices, and isparticularly concerned with constructional features of a type of lampunit comprising a convoluted discharge tube mounted in an enclosingjacket or envelope and, in turn, adapted to enclose another lamp withinits convolutions.

It is an object of my invention to provide a lamp of sturdy andsimplified construction. Various features and advantages of theinvention will be more particularly pointed out in the followingdescription and in the claim.

In the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations, partly in section, of alamp unit embodying my invention, and Fig. 3 is a bottom view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the unit comprises a helically coiled gaseouselectric discharge tube I of glass or quartz containing a suitableionizable atmosphere, such as a filling of Xenon, and having a cathode 2and an anode 3 sealed in its ends. The tube I is supported within aframework of rigid support and current lead wires 4, 5 and 6 whichextend upward from contact prongs or terminals I, 8 and 9, respectively,on an insulating base shell Ill. The anode lead 3 is connected by aflexible stranded section II to lead 4, while the cathode I2 isconnected by a similar flexible section I3 to the lead 5. The tube I issecured t the support lead 6 by an auxiliary support strip or tie wireI6 which is looped around the turns of the tube I and secured at itsends, preferably by welding to the lead 6. The tube I is additionallysupported between auxiliary supporting spud wires I4, I4 and I5, I5extending laterally from the leads 4 and 5 respectively across theadjacent portions of the top and bottom of the helix I, but terminatingshort of the space enclosed by the helically coiled tube I, as shown inFig. 2 of the drawing.

The lead 6, with its tie loop I6, serves additionally as an externaltriggering or starting electrode upon which a high voltage is impressedto ionize the gas in the tube I and thereby cause a discharge to takeplace between the cathode 2 and anode 3 which may be connected across acondenser so as to emit a flash of light of high intensity forphotographic purposes. A suitable circuit of that type is illustrated,for example, in Patent 2,277,697 to H. E. Grier.

According to the present invention, the lead of tube I at l8 where it istied to the helix I by another loop or tie wire I9. The one U-shaped 1Claim. (Cl. 313-198) lead 6 thereby serves both the functions of asupport and also an external triggering electrode on two sides of thehelix I to increase the capacitative effect for starting purposes. Atthe same time, this construction leaves unobstructed access t theinterior of the helix I for insertion of an incandescent modelling lamp23 (Fig. 2) through an opening 20 in the base I0, without reducingclearances to the point where flashover might occur. One way ofsupporting the said modelling lamp in the helix is disclosed inapplication Serial No. 503,068, filed September 20, 1943, by thisapplicant and P. B. Davis, now U. S. Patent No. 2,469,607, issued May10, 1949.

In another arrangement, the unit shown in the drawing is mounted on abase or support member by inserting its prongs I, 8, 9 into contactmembers on said base which carries a socket supporting the modellinglamp in position to be enclosed within the helix I.

The supporting framework is additionally supported from the enclosingglass jacket or envelope 2I by four spring strip braces 22 which arewelded to the upper ends of the leads 4, 5 and Ii and the end portion I8of lead 6, the said upper ends of the leads being located at the cornersof a square to form a firm support. The braces 22 on supports 4 and 5also serve to maintain those supports against the helix I which isthereby snugly cradled between the spuds I4, I4 and I5, I5 extendingfrom the said supports. The use of spuds I4, I4 and I5, I5 on leads 4and 5 has the advantage over the tie wires like I6 and I9 in that suchtie wires, if used on leads 4 and 5, are apt to lead to electrolysis andfailure of the bulb of the enclosed modelling lamp 23 when it touchesthe tie wire I6 01 I9 and a similar tie wire on lead 4 or 5.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated one way in which the modelling lamp 23 maybe supported within the helical tube I. The lamp 23 is carried by asocket 24 which is supported on wires 25, 26 carried by a plug 27 which,in turn, is carried by a flexible disc 28. The disc 28 is provided withholes corresponding in number and spacing to the prongs I, 8 and 9 andby means of which it is slipped over the said prongs.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

In a lamp unit, the combination of a helically coiled light-transmittinggaseous conduction tube having electrodes in the ends thereof, alight-transmitting tubular jacket surrounding said tube and open at oneend, a base member attached to the said one end of the jacket andprovided with an opening in alignment with the axis of the coiled tubevfor insertion therethrough of a modelling lamp, a plurality of rigidconductive support wires secured to said base and extendinglongitudinally of and spaced around the outside of said coiled tubewithin said jacket, one of said support wires constituting a triggeringelectrode for said tube and being bent to an inverted U-shape extendingacross the top of the coiled tube and down its opposite side and havingboth legs of the U clamped to said tube by tie wires secured at theirends to said legs and looped around the turns of said tube, and twoothers of said support wires constituting current lead-in conductorselectrically connected to respective ends of said tube and beingprovided with spuds extending laterally inward therefrom across the topand bottom turns of the coiled tube but terminating short of thespace 5enclosed by said tube, and resilient brace members secured tothe upperends of said lead-in support wires and bearing against the inner wall ofsaid jacket to maintain said wires against said tube with said tubecradled between said spuds and with the space within said coiled tubeunobstructed by said spuds, said support wires being so dimensioned asnot substantially to obstruct the outward passage of light.

EDWARD B. NOEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

